That 40s Girl (Updated Post-Endgame)
by graciewrites-stories
Summary: Katerina Mansfield loves the 1940s, so it seems like a perfect match when she meets Bucky Barnes, Steve's best friend. But they both have secrets, dark secrets, that could ruin everything they could possibly have. ! HUGE SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME !
1. Prologue

**Washington D.C, 2014**

Agent 14's gun was sitting precariously on the passenger seat as she drove down the street. She had her red hair pulled up in a messy bun and her blazer was freshly pressed at the dry cleaner's. She was off duty, but still looked all business. The radio played in the background until the music suddenly cut out and was replaced with an emergency news report. "There is currently a situation in downtown New York. A masked man with a gun is on the loose; Captain America is on the scene, but residents are advised to stay away from the area and inside for their own personal safety." Staying stoically calm, she voice-dialed her fellow agent - Agent 13's - number and put the phone on the dashboard. "Sharon!" she cried, the moment her friend picked up. "What's going on?" She approached New York via the highway and saw it. The utter chaos. Cars were scattered everywhere.

"Katie!" Agent 13 cried, the panic clear in her voice. "You have got to stay away from downtown! It's dangerous; there's a killer there! You could be - ! " But it was too late. Agent 14 slammed the brakes when she reached the yellow tape and grabbed her gun, stepping out of the car, her heels clicking on the pavement. It was eerily silent and police were already on site, but the masked man was nowhere to be seen. Gripping the gun tightly in her hand by her side, she wandered around. A policeman saw her and came over.

"Ma'am," he said with a commanding voice. "You're not allowed to be here."

The agent just looked at him and held up her S.H.I.E.L.D badge. "But - " he protested, but she stepped around him, continuing to wander around the grounds. It was total devastation. A Range Rover was lying on its back in dying flames, covered in bullet holes. Katie approached it and closely inspected the damage, running her fingers over them. Still hot. Suddenly someone screamed and Agent 14 whipped her head around. Standing in front of her was a huge man in an all black suit and a black mask covering his face, holding a large machine gun in his gloved hands. The gun pointed at her. His masked eyes boring into her soul. She stared back at him and at the gun tip, the breeze slightly tossing their hair around. Fear had her frozen in place and she considered shooting him on the spot before he could shoot her, but she was afraid to move. For a few long seconds they looked at each other. Her breathing was shaky, but she held firm. No way was she going to let this guy see she was afraid of him. His vacant eyes passed across her face once more and she gulped, bracing herself for the bullet, but to her shock, he lowered the gun and stalked away, not looking at her ever again.

The second he was out of view, Agent 14 collapsed against the vehicle. Her chest was heaving too fast for her to catch her breath and sweat slid down her face. _Who was that?_ Someone screamed her name but she could barely hear it. Agent 13 fell beside her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "...you could have been killed! Are you stupid!?" she was yelling.

The agent grabbed her friend's arm, not meeting her eyes. "Who was that?" she gasped, looking at her in awe-struck terror. Agent 13 didn't respond, instead helped her to her feet and led her to a truck that will take her back to SHIELD headquarters.

While Agent 13 met with the SHIELD officials, Agent 14 wandered off to a secluded room where the files were held. She used her tag to unlock the classified room and immediately headed for the "W" section. _W. Winter Soldier, The._ She pulled out the file with a large, red "CLASSIFIED" printed on the front. She flipped it open and saw a grainy image of his masked face and shivers crawled up her spine. She glanced over the information. _Affiliations: HYDRA. Name: Unknown. Age: Unknown. Location: Unknown. Famous Victims: President Kennedy (1963), Howard and Maria Stark (1991)._ More cold shivers. Another agent appeared in the doorway. "14, you shouldn't be here." he said, with a warning voice. "It's restricted."

Agent 14 slipped the file in her bag and stood up straight. "I was just leaving." She smiled sweetly before slipping around him and out the door.

**\- THREE YEARS LATER - **

Sharon Carter and her best friend Katerina Mansfield, formerly known as Agent 14 before SHIELD dissolved, were lounging in front of the television screen, popcorn in hand. They were reporting on the battle raging in Wakanda that very moment. "A mysterious figure going by the name 'Thanos' has been terrorizing citizens for years and was behind the 2012 New York attack. No one knows who this _Thanos_ is but the Avengers are on the scene…" the reporter was saying.

Sharon stood and disappeared inside the kitchen. "What's happening to the world?" she wondered out loud as she poured herself a glass of beer.

Katie took a handful of popcorn and stuffed it in her mouth. "Who knows." she replied, her eyes still glued to the news.

"Uh...Katie?" came Sharon's voice from the kitchen. "Something's wrong." There was the sound of a glass smashing to the floor and Katie immediately dropped her popcorn and ran into the kitchen at the sound. She found Sharon standing there staring at her hand in horror, which was disappearing into a cloud of dust. She looked up at Katie. "What's happening?" she gasped. Her arm soon followed and Katie could do nothing but watch as the rest of Sharon vanished into dust.

"NO!" she shrieked, collapsing to her knees and grabbing at the dust. "SHARON! Sharon, no!" She ran to the window and watched as people on the street began to vanish as well and more people ran outside, the distress clear on their faces. "What's going on?" she gasped. Katie grabbed her keys and drove to her family home, but the moment she stepped inside she knew. It was dead silent, except for the sound of television eerily echoing through the house. She walked into the sitting room where the television was still on, playing the breaking news report. She slid down the wall in tears, her hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs. "Citizens are vanishing all over the world. Our current numbers are saying that about 3 billion people have disappeared in the last two minutes into, what seems to be, dust."


	2. Group Therapy

**\- FIVE YEARS LATER -**

Police sirens wailed in the distance, but Katie didn't mind. She was used to it. When half the police force vanished, crime rates had spiked and the few police that were left were working day and night to keep it in check. She ripped off the plastic from her TV dinner and headed for the couch. She bent down and gave some of her food to the dog nuzzling her leg. To distract herself from her grief, she had taken to adopting all the dogs that were now without owners. At least she was a little less lonely that way. She sat down in front of the TV, eating her microwaved chicken wings and flipping through channels. She landed on a channel playing an old black and white film from the 40s and let the images play across the screen. The actress on-screen was laughing and embracing a dashing man in such an enthusiastic way Katie couldn't help but chuckle. "Back when life was simple." she sighed, as the couple on-screen

rode off in the sunset, romantic music playing in the background. Katie found herself watching another one, and another. She ended up watching them for hours, lost in the sights and sounds of a world long gone. But then there was another power outage, and Katie was forced to come back to the real world. She sighed and slipped on her purse, going out for a walk.

One thing Katie could never adjust to, even after five years, was just how quiet New York City was. She passed the shopping mall and its empty parking lot, even though it was the middle of a work week. The chilly wind cut through her leather jacket and she hugged herself tighter. She was almost at the library when she heard the familiar cocking of a gun. She stiffened, feeling the pressure against the back of her head. "The purse. Now." the masked thief demanded. She

gripped her purse tighter and prepared to attack him with it, but she didn't need to as another man was yelling, "Get lost!" She turned around slightly and saw Steve Rogers chasing the guy away.

He came over to her cautiously. "Are you alright, ma'am?" he asked.

Katie gritted her teeth and turned around in annoyance. "You know I have a gun, right?" she said, holding it up to make her point. "I had it covered."

"I'm sorry, it looked like you needed help."

"No." Katie said, simply, slipping the gun back in her purse. "I didn't."

Steve hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Why are you wandering the streets of New York all by yourself?" he wondered, following her as she speed-walked down the street.

"What else am I supposed to do?" Katie snapped. "Stay at home? I don't _have_ anybody else."

Steve looked at her, that annoying concerned look on his face. "You know, I have a support group. You're welcome to join." he said gently.

"Now why the heck would I want to join a support group?!" Katie snapped, a little harsher than necessary, but Steve didn't even flinch. She guessed he got this a lot. "I don't want pat answers!" she fumed. "I want my family, my best friend, and my damn cat!"

Steve looked at her sadly, and Katie momentarily wondered if she hurt his feelings. "I'm sorry, I just…" She rubbed her forehead.

"I really think you should talk to somebody. It does help." Steve said firmly. "There's a meeting tonight."

Katie cast him a dark look. "Fine. If only for you to leave me alone." She started to leave when Steve called after her, "What's your name?" She stopped and turned. "Katie."

Steve smiled and nodded. "See you tonight, Katie." he said. She snorted and headed for the library.

That evening, Katie hauled herself over to Steve Roger's support group meeting, very reluctant. The group all turned and looked at her when she walked in and she gave them a little awkward wave. Steve smiled at her, but he seemed like the only cheerful person in the room. Each person in the circle took turns introducing themselves and updating the group on what has been going on their lives. Soon it came time for Katie to speak and she was surprised at how much better it felt to talk to someone about her feelings, especially because they were as depressed as she was.

After the meeting, Steve approached her. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Still shitty." She looked up at him. "But a little less shitty than usual." She pulled her hoodie tighter around herself, her thoughts swirling in her mind. She wanted to ask him, but didn't know if she should.

"Do you need a ride home?" asked Steve.

It was a freezing cold evening, Christmas was in a week, and the idea of walking home in the cold was not very appealing to Katie at that moment. She nodded and hopped into his car. It was Captain America, after all. He was as trustworthy as they got. As they drove down the street to Katie's apartment, Katie finally got up the nerve to ask what was on her mind. "Why couldn't you stop it?" she asked quietly, a tear slipping down her face.

Steve sighed, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "We tried." he said. "But Thanos...he was more powerful than us." He glanced at her. "You know, I understand what you're going through; I lost my best friend, too."

Katie wiped her tear stained cheek with the back of her hand. "You did?" she whispered.

"Yeah. We were friends since childhood. I loved him like a brother and then he was gone."

Katie's brow furrowed. "Why have you never mentioned him before?" she wondered.

Steve shrugged. "It hurts too much to talk about it." he explained.

"I get that." Katie looked out the window at the passing city lights. "My best friend and I were really close. We fought together. She always had my back…"

Steve smiled slightly. "Maybe one day we'll get them all back."

One night, after the meeting, Steve was driving Katie home when he suddenly said, "You probably won't see me around for a while."

Katie looked at him in confusion. "Why's that?" she asked.

He hesitated before answering, "The Avengers are doing something big. We might be able to fix some stuff that...happened."

Katie's eyes widened and she processed this information. Were they trying to bring everyone back? Could they bring everyone back? But all she said was, "Oh. Okay."

Weeks past, and Katie had slacked off when it came to attending meetings. Instead she spent her days watching 40s movies and helping the owner of the local vintage cafe refurbish the store. She kept busy but inside she was lonely. She missed her family, and especially Sharon, but she tried not to think about it. It was nearly three weeks after Steve told her about him having to leave when she unwrapped her TV dinner and walked into the living room. She sat on the couch and went to turn on the television, when she heard the sound of a her toilet flushing. She jolted. "Who the heck?!" she cried and grabbed the gun from her purse, pointing it in the direction of the bathroom door. "Who's there?" she demanded, from a safe distance.

The door opened and a woman walked out, in a loose sweatshirt and pajama pants. "That was the weirdest 5 hours of my life." she sighed, crossing her arms and turning around. Tears sprung to Katie's eyes and dropped the gun.

"Sharon?" Katie cried, embracing her. "You're back! I missed you so much." Her phone buzzed with texts from her family, wondering where she was. It was good to be back.


	3. Steve's Best Friend

**\- ONE YEAR LATER -**

Bucky Barnes' heart pounded. Six of hearts...a king... Sam Wilson tapped on his can of beer impatiently. Bucky wiped his forehead.

"Do you fold?" came Sam's taunting voice.

Bucky glared up at him. "Never." But before he could save himself from the embarrassment of losing to Sam, Steve hobbled in, waving his cane at him.

"Bucky! How've you been, buddy?" He smacked him on the back and Bucky flinched. He did not appreciate physical touch. Steve flopped onto the sofa and raised an eyebrow at Sam's cards.

"Buck, you're losing bad." commented Steve.

"Yeah, I got that." Bucky muttered bitterly.

Sam rolled his eyes. "He's still not folding."

Steve shook his head. "Buck will never fold; his ego's too big." At that Bucky snorted and continued to examine his cards. A moment passed before Steve spoke up. "Alright, let me spare you." He turned to Bucky. "Let's go out."

Bucky blinked at him in confusion.

"See? I told you they were into each other!" cried Sam, cackling evilly and high-fiving Scott, who was frustratingly trying to sew a sock puppet. Steve gave him a warning look before turning back to Bucky. "There's a new vintage cafe that just opened. Apparently they serve amazing sandwiches! You in?" Steve's face wrinkled even more as he smiled mischievously. "Cute girls will be there. Maybe you'll finally find someone."

Bucky stood up abruptly and shook his head. "I'm kind of done with that kind of stuff." He hesitated, carefully choosing his words. "Girls don't usually take the whole damaged-psycho killer thing well." Sam nodded in agreement, sipping his beer. Bucky started to walk off but Steve followed him, hobbling along with his cane.

"How do you know if you never tried?" pressed Steve.

Bucky whirled around, a panic in his eyes. "I know what she's going to say!" he cried. He lowered his voice to just above a whisper so as only Steve could hear. "The moment I walked through that door, she will recognize me as the Winter Soldier, and then everything will be over." His eyes were pleading Steve to understand. "I can't risk that."

Steve sighed and raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, no girls." He paused. "But can we at least go get those sandwiches?" he suggested, cautiously.

Bucky smiled in relief. "That I can do."

Sam, Steve and Bucky strolled down the streets of New York City to the cafe. The cafe was old and rustic, as if it was inhabited in 1945 and hadn't changed a day since. "Wow, this place is really authentic." commented Bucky, as they walked in and took their seats at the counter. Sam ordered their sandwiches while Bucky glanced around the cafe. Soft jazz music was playing in the background and people were mingling around, drinking coffees and laughing. His eyes fell on a girl, sitting down the row reading the newspaper with earbuds in her ears. Her red hair was done up in pin curls and she wore a simple yellow A-line dress that complemented her small frame. The moment he laid eyes on her, it was if he was taken right back to 1945. The room vanished and all he saw was her and him in the middle of a smoke filled bar, soft jazz music playing from the record machine. She walked up to him and smiled. She had the most beautiful smile. "Hi." He couldn't stop looking at her. His daydream was cut short by Sam clearing his throat much louder than necessary. Bucky snapped back into reality and realized that the girl was standing right in front of him and smiling. He flushed. "Hi." he said awkwardly when he realized he had been staring. Steve chuckled whilst continuing to gum his sandwich, which Sam had cut up into bite-sized pieces for him.

"You're standing in front of the salt…" She gestured to the salt shaker behind him. Bucky flushed and stepped to the side. He opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was a long "uhhh". The girl reached around and took the salt, giving him a quick smile.

"Um, I'm James." he suddenly blurted out, sticking out his hand stiffly. Sam snorted his soda and Steve turned around slowly, grinning widely when he recognized who it was.

Slightly surprised but rolling with it, the girl took Bucky's hand, shaking it. "I'm Katie." Bucky was highly aware of the fact that her hand was a full size smaller than his own and much softer. They stood there, shaking hands, until Steve popped up between them.

"Katie!" he cried. "It's me, Steve!"

Katie looked completely confused, staring at old Steve. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've ever met..." she said cautiously, stepping back.

"Oh, yeah..." Steve looked down at himself. "Some weird time travel stuff went down. I'm telling you, it's me."

Katie peered at Steve, her brain processing this information. "Steve? Is that you?" she said. Her eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh my gosh! It is you!" She hugged him carefully. "I never got a chance to thank you for what you guys did. You know, bringing back my family and all that."

Steve shook his head. "It's fine. It's what we do." He gestured to Bucky. "This is the friend I was telling you about."

Katie smiled at him. "Hi! I heard so much about you." she said, cheerfully.

"What about me?" added Sam, carrying the sandwiches.

"Yes, I mentioned you too." replied Steve.

Bucky shook himself off and mentally scolded himself for acting so ridiculous. She's just a very pretty girl, that's all. No big deal. He glanced down at her yellow dress. "I love the outfit." he suddenly commented.

Katie glanced down at her clothes. "Oh!" she cried, flushing. "Thanks...I'm a big fan of vintage." she summarized awkwardly.

Bucky chuckled at her awkwardness. "Well, I am too." he said carefully, not wanting to reveal any more than what was necessary.

Katie's eyes widened. "Really?!" she cried, excitedly. "You like the 40s?"

He shrugged. "Something like that."

"That's amazing." sighed Katie.. "I had yet to find anyone who liked it as much as me. Lotta people just think it's weird. 'Live in the present!' they say, but I just love how simple of a time it was." Bucky nodded along and listened to her ramble. It was nice to find someone who had a shared experience as himself, even if only as a fan. His memories of the 1940s were still fragmented, but there was that little hope that Katie could help him remember more.

Bucky barely touched his sandwich. Sam raised an eyebrow. "Dude, are you smitten?" he whispered.

Bucky blushed, giving Sam the stink eye. "Of course not, I just wasn't expecting a pretty girl to be here, that's all."

Steve shook his head from Bucky's left side. "Buck, I've known you all my life; I think I can tell when you're smitten."

His best friend rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine. Maybe a little. She is...pretty."

Sam smirked and threw an arm around his shoulder. "Then, you should talk to her again. You're good at that!" The goofy smile on Bucky's face faded. "Not anymore." he muttered.

Steve's heart panged. "Buck, I know you're still that guy deep down." he said gently.

Bucky pursed his lips. "Bucky in 1945 wouldn't have killed innocent people."

"You didn't have a choice. You know that."

"Yeah." he sighed, looking down at his half-eaten sandwich. "I know." He stared at the sandwich, his thoughts racing. "I just don't know anything anymore."

There was a brief silence before Sam leaned over, pointing to the sandwich. "Are you gonna eat that?"


	4. Flirting Lessons with Sam

It took a lot to convince Bucky to go back to the cafe, but Steve insisted, under the guise that he just had to try a milkshake because "I'm going to die soon anyway!" This made both Bucky and Sam emotional so they relented. Sitting once again on the row of stools, this time with milkshakes, they all looked at Bucky when they saw Katie sitting at her usual spot with the newspaper. Steve pushed the salt behind Bucky again, an evil grin on his face. Right on cue, Katie reached out to grab the salt and looked annoyed when it wasn't there. "Really!" she muttered. "I need to tell the owner to put a salt shaker here." She noticed Bucky sitting at the counter and she felt heat rising to her cheeks. She approached the counter and Bucky grabbed Sam by the arm. "Alright, let's go - " Sam forced him to sit back down but Bucky was still scrambling.

"Dude, calm your ass." Sam whispered, eyes laughing.

"I told you I'm not good at this!" snapped Bucky, as Katie cleared her throat. He turned around, eyes wide.

"You guys must be regulars here." commented Katie, taking the salt shaker from Bucky's shaky hand.

"Well - I mean - we - um - " Bucky stammered, before Sam jumped in with a save.

"Old Steve here wanted a milkshake, and since he's like ninety we had to oblige him." Sam shrugged. "Elderly. Whatcha gonna do, right?"

Katie chuckled and nodded. "Yup, my grandma is like that, too." She glanced at Bucky, who was sipping his milkshake, more than happy to let Sam do the talking. "Well, I should get going." She waved the salt. "Thanks, again!" The moment she was gone, Bucky released the breath he didn't know he was holding in.

Sam looked at him in horror. "Dude, what was that supposed to be?" he cried. "You had it made!"

"I told you!" Bucky said, blushing and looking down into his milkshake. "I'm not good at this love stuff anymore."

Steve looked away sadly, but Sam was not to be swayed. He slowly drank his own milkshake, a plan brewing in his mind.

"Alright, sit up straight." instructed Sam. It was evening and Bucky was getting an impromptu flirting lesson from Sam while Steve gummed on a PB&J in the corner. "Now," continued Sam. "Pretend I'm Katie." He exaggeratedly batted his eyelashes and flipped his invisible long hair.

Bucky just stared at him, slowly blinking. "...why?" he finally said.

Sam paused pretending to be a girl. "Come on, man! Say something charming." He wasn't giving up, Bucky would learn how to flirt again, if Sam had anything to say about it.

Bucky looked confused. "Um.." He wrung his hands. "I like your hair...?"

Sam stared at him. "Really? That's all you got?"

"Look, I really don't see a point in this - " Bucky got up to leave but Steve stuck out his cane to stop him. Bucky threw up his hands in exasperation. "You know what? Fine!" He turned around and made direct eye contact with "Katie", trying his best to channel any memory of himself from the 1940s. He used to be such a ladies' man. Surely he could do it again? He took a deep breath and steadied his shaking hands, picturing Katie smiling at him in his mind. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" he said, as smooth as butter, a small smile on his face, as all the charm that was buried deep down in Bucky's psyche suddenly came to the surface.

Steve hooted. "Now he's got it!"

Sam's eyes widened and he stood there, gaping. "Dude. Dude." He looked away. "I turned gay for a second. It was wild."

Bucky smiled, awkward once more. "Well, did I flirt?" he asked.

Steve nodded. "Yes. Yes you did."

Sam whipped around. "You didn't just 'flirt'!" he cried. "You now have a million children, a white picket fence, and A _VOLVO S.U.V_!"

Bucky turned to Steve, confused. "Translation?"

"You made a lot of babies." explained Steve.

Bucky grinned, pleased with himself. "Oh, good! Thanks guys." He picked up his jacket and headed for his room.

Sam stood in the middle of the room, still shook. "NOBODY TOUCH ME." he yelled, heading for the kitchen for a drink.


	5. Boxing Class

Bucky was home alone. Sam had taken Steve for bingo at the community center and Bucky was lacking in something to do with himself. He had just rearranged the fridge magnets for the hundredth time when he decided to go to the gym. Shuri hadn't really given him much opportunity to work out on Wakanda, saying he needed to "rest" and stuff like that, but in the process he had lost most of his muscle definition. He grabbed the apartment keys and headed out. Back in the 40s, Bucky had excelled in all things fitness and even trained Steve back when Steve was skinny, but after everything that had happened, he had forgotten most of his old skills. But this all changed the moment Bucky was faced with a punching bag again. He smiled a little more with every punch, feeling a little bit of his pain ebbing.

"You're pretty good at that." one of the gym employees commented, walking over to him.

Bucky wiped a loose strand of his dark hair from his sweaty forehead. "Thank you." he said, refocusing on punching. But the guy lingered, watching him. Bucky paused punching. "Can I help you?" he said, on edge.

The guy smiled. "Yes, actually! We're looking for someone who can teach a boxing class here. It will pay pretty well and you obviously know quite a bit about boxing."

Bucky blinked, thinking over his proposition. "A class?"

The guy shrugged. "Yeah, you know, just a few beginners. The basic stuff. Nothing too serious."

Bucky glanced away. It would be nice to share his knowledge with other humans again, now that Steve no longer needed his training. He nodded cautiously. "Okay. Thank you." The guy eyed his metal arm before walking away and Bucky returned to punching.

The first day of classes came and Bucky was standing off to the side, now changed into a loose grey long-sleeve that mostly covered his arm. The boxing students slowly trickled in, consisting mainly of teenage guys wanting to get swole, some giggling girls, and an old woman who kept wiggling her eyebrows at him. Bucky swallowed down his nerves. _Just teach them what you know. _"Just imagine they're Steve." he whispered to himself, smiling at the group. "Hey, guys!"

Just then the door opened again and Katie walked in, her red hair no longer in pin curls, but up in a ponytail, and she had ditched the dress, opting instead for a sports bra and leggings. She waved at him as she came in. He smiled slightly, his face feeling warm at the sight of her. "Okay, let's start with the basics."

Maybe it was due to the fact that Katie was one-quarter Irish that she had a tendency to be angry, but during her time in Steve's therapy group, they advised her that boxing was a great way to deal with it and she did a lot of it during her time with S.H.I.E.L.D. So, here she was, heading to a boxing class. She walked into the gym and she immediately felt faint. Steve's mysterious friend was the instructor and her stomach flipped at the sight of him. Katie took the bandages and began to wrap her wrists when he approached her. "I didn't know you were into boxing." he commented.

Katie chuckled to herself. If only he knew. "Well, I have a lot of layers." she squared her shoulders and punched the bag, hoping to relieve some of the nerves that were still fluttering in her stomach.

Bucky crossed his arms and watched her from a proper distance. "You have strength." he heard himself saying. "But your form is off."

Katie blushed. "I might be a little rusty." she said, taking a sip of water.

Bucky shrugged. "You're better than everyone else here." He gestured to some of the other girls, who were hugging their injured wrists from punching completely wrong. He hesitated before walking away to talk to them.

"Hey!" Katie called after him. He stopped and turned, an inquisitive expression on his face. "Steve and I were going to go for ice cream to catch up. You're welcome to join us." she offered.

Bucky smiled and nodded. "Sounds nice."

(Later)

"Don't you think that's too much sugar for you?" Sam commented with concern, as Steve horked down a second chocolate sundae.

Steve licked the bowl happily. "Nope!" he smiled.

Katie and Bucky sat across from them, arms crossed, watching this scene with confusion. "Didn't they give you ice cream in 1945?" Bucky wondered out loud.

Steve shrugged. "Well, yes, but there's something about 21st century ice cream that's so much better." he explained, turning to the waitress and starting to order another. Sam stopped him with a shake of his head.

Bucky turned to Katie. "So, what do you do?" he asked, carefully, remembering what Sam told him about small talk.

Katie smiled at his effort to be social. "I'm a tour guide at the Smithsonian." she answered, taking a sip of her coffee. "You?"

"Boxing instructor." answered Bucky. "Before that I was, sort of, in recovery."

Katie nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, it must have taken lots of adjusting to get used to this." She gestured around her.

Bucky sighed. "Definitely." The memories swirled around in his mind but he pushed them away, preferring to focus on the moment and the ice cream in front of him.


	6. Bowling with The Boys

Katie had to admit she was a little excited when Steve invited her to join him and his friends for bowling, partly because she was great at bowling and couldn't wait to show off, but also partly because that cute mysterious friend of his would be there. She decided to bring her own friend along and Sharon was more than willing to go with her and be her wingwoman. They met the boys at the bowling alley, who had already grabbed a table and had their bowling shoes on.

"Sam!" Sharon cried, high-fiving him. "Good to see ya."

"Wait," said Katie, interrupting their reunion. "You two know each other?"

Sharon grinned clapping Sam on the back. "Of course, I knew Sam back in the S.H.I.E.L.D days." Bucky came over and she nodded at him too. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Bucky pursed his lips. "Better, thank you." he said, awkwardly.

Sharon looked around. "Where's Steve?" she asked Sam and Bucky, who exchanged a glance.

"Well, you see…" Sam started, but they were cut off by old Steve hobbling over.

"Sharon!" he cried, embracing her. She stared at him in horror. "Long time no see."

"Yeah…" She looked at him wearily. "What, uh, what happened to you?"

Steve looked down at himself. "Oh, you know, just a little time travel." he explained before giving her a sad smile. "I'm sorry things didn't work out between us."

Sharon shook her head, as if shaking off the memory of their kiss in front of the getaway car. "Don't mention it. Really, don't ever mention it."

There was an awkward silence before Sam cut in. "You know what, this is awkward, let's just bowl." He picked up a ball and headed for the lane. While Sam was going through all his pre-bowling rituals, Katie and Sharon discussed the possibility of snacks, because no bowling trip is complete without it.

"Should I go get a pizza?" suggested Katie.

Bucky perked up. "I can go with you." he offered.

Katie smiled at him and they left. Meanwhile, Sam had bowled a spare on his first turn and Steve was getting jealous.

"Can't beat that, Rogers!" cried Sam, smirking at him. "I bet you can't even pick up the bowling ball."

Steve turned up his nose at him. "Please. I'm a hundred and one, not dead." He straightened up and went to pick up an 14-pound ball. He strained for a full minute before Sam handed him a 6-pounder. Steve sniffed and carried the ball with two hands to the foul line, bending down to adjust his aim while Sharon and Sam judged from afar.

"Ten bucks he'll pull his back?" whispered Sam.

"Five." Sharon whispered back. They shook on it and went back to observing the proceedings.

Steve hurtled the ball down the lane - pulling his back in the process - but the ball did end up knocking out all the pins. Sam gasped in despair. "How!?"

"Hah!" cried Sharon. "You just got beat by a 100-year-old man!"

Sam shrunk down in his seat as Steve hobbled back over, clutching his back. "I'll need a masseuse after this." he muttered.

Meanwhile, Bucky and Katie were busy ordering the snacks from the restaurant next door to the bowling alley. "You're vegetarian or vegan, right?" asked Katie, as she observed the menu.

Bucky shook his head. "Absolutely not."

Katie chuckled and placed the order. "Yeah, same." She looked over at him and for the first time noticed his metal arm, which was now exposed because Bucky had opted to wear a quarter-sleeve shirt. He noticed her looking and he attempted to hide. "How did that happen?" asked Katie.

"I lost my arm in the war…" Bucky answered, cautiously, stretching his bionic fingers.

"That's…really, really cool." said Katie, eyeing the gold detailing etched into the metal.

Bucky smiled at her. "Most find it strange, so I keep it hidden." he explained.

"Why? I think it's awesome. Different, but awesome."

They grabbed their pizzas and headed back to the alley, where Steve and Sam were in a heated competition on who is the better bowler. "That's not fair, he's using a lighter ball!" cried Sam, as Steve scored yet another strike.

"SAM!" Bucky shrieked, running over to an exhausted Steve. "He's going to break his back!"

Sam shrugged. "It was his idea, not mine." he protested.

Steve shrugged Bucky off. "I will win." he groaned, dragging the ball and himself to the foul line. Bucky hauled him away and back to the table, where Sharon gave Steve an ice pack. He took it gratefully.

Bucky got up and took a ball from the conveyor belt with his metal arm. "Okay, now that's even more unfair!" whined Sam. "He's using his metal arm to throw it!" Bucky gave him a look and switched to his other arm, bending down to throw the ball. Steve wolf-whistled and both Sharon and Katie cried out in horror. Bucky glared at him and he cackled. He threw it and it ended up in the gutter. "W-what -" he spluttered. Sam laughed cruelly.

"You were aiming a little too far left." commented Katie. "Try centering your aim." He tried again and it also ended up in the gutter.

Bucky threw his hands up in surrender. "I don't get this."

"Here," said Katie, getting up and taking the ball from him. "Let me try." She bent down and ended up hitting more than half the pins. Bucky looked on, impressed.

It was Sam's turn again and he went up, taking the ball from Katie, and bent down. "Wow!" cried Steve. "He also inherited America's ass!" Sam whipped around and gave him a look.

Sharon groaned. "Why are you joking about people's asses? Stahp."

"What?" laughed Steve. "They're just asking for it!"


	7. Getting Better

"Getting better!" said Bucky to Katie, a few days later during their boxing class.

Katie grinned, proud of herself. "Thank you!" She turned back to the bag.

Bucky hesitantly approached. "But don't forget," He lightly corrected her posture. She almost didn't feel it. "Keep your back straight."

Katie's face burned as she straightened back up. "Oops, I always forget that."

Bucky shrugged. "A common mistake." He cast a quick, small smile at her, which she gladly returned.

"Do you want to go for coffee after this?" Katie suddenly asked.

Startled, Bucky just blinked at her. "Like, without Steve?"

"I mean...yeah." Katie nervously wrung her hands. "You know what, never mind, it's fine - "

"I'd like that. Coffee." Bucky cut in, still blinking. Katie was asking him out. Sort of. Okay, not really, but it made him nervous all the same. He turned away, a stupid grin on his face. Katie wiped her forehead.

(Later)

"...and it was hilarious. We all laughed so hard, but then I ended up getting detention..." Katie was saying. Bucky was listening intently while sipping his coffee across from her at the local vintage cafe. It was their favourite place to meet. Suddenly, Katie paused and looked at him. "You don't talk much, do you?" she pointed out.

Bucky shook his head. "Not unless there's something worth saying." he replied.

"Yeah, I get ya." Katie looked out the window at the passing traffic. "It's weird." she mused. "This world we're living in. It's so different from the forties."

Bucky shrugged. "I think it's better." Katie looked at him quizzically. "We had the war." he clarified.

"True." There was a moment of silence before Katie spoke up. "So, how did you get so good at boxing?" she said, changing the subject.

Bucky leaned back. "I trained myself back in the forties. I guess it just gave me something to do with my time." he explained. "How about you?"

"I have anger management issues." Katie replied, point blank. "It's a good stress reliever."

Bucky nodded. "That it is." He smiled. "I should have guessed, you have red hair."

Katie laughed. "You know it's a misconception."

"Is it?" Bucky said, suspiciously. "I've seen you punch."

Katie shook her head. "I'm part-Irish, so…" She stirred her coffee, chuckling. "One time I was in the store with my mother and I wanted candy, but my mom said no, so I threw a tantrum for the next hour."

Bucky laughed, and Katie grinned. There was nothing like seeing Bucky laugh. His eyes crinkled around the edges and his nose would scrunch. It was enough to make anyone melt, and that included Katie. Her heart leapt in her chest. "Wow." sighed Bucky, shaking his head.

"Yup. I was the kid from hell." nodded Katie, feeling proud of herself but also slightly discombobulated. She spilled her coffee all over herself. Bucky gasped and handed her a napkin.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Oh, yes. Just...coffee. Makes me jittery." She swallowed and avoided his eyes. She looked out the window at the squirrel crossing the power line. "So, squirrels! Am I right?" He squinted at her, but didn't prod any further.


End file.
